Decorative lamp



May 29, 1956 BENNETT 2,

DECORATIVE LAMP Filed Dec. 15, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v74 4 ATTOR Y BY l May 29, 1956 N. BENNETT 2,743,257

DECORATIVE LAMP Filed Dec. 15, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VE N TOR Maya/2 Jayme/z.

United States Patent DECORATIVE LAMP Norman Bennett, Washington, D. C.

Application December 15, 1953, Serial'No. 398,279

3 Claims. :(Cl. 240-10) This invention relates to a lamp.

The .invention is more particularly concerned with a lamp attachment embodying a lamp bulb encircling light diffusing member and means associated therewith for attachment of a decorative medium or other ornamental features.

.A primary object 0f the "invention is to provide an attachment for a lamp whereby direct diffused light is transmitted from a "lamp bulb -while provision is at the same time made for the use of a decorative medium in encircling relation to the bulb.

A further object of the invention is to provide a translucent light diifusing member for operative connection with alamp body in-encirclin-g relation to the light source thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent .in the course of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a broken top plan "view of "the improved lamp structure in accordance with a prefer-red en'ibodirnent of the invention.

.2 but disclosing certain modified structure.

Fig. '8 'is a perspective view of a steadying yoke embodied in the modified structure of 'Fig. 7.

.Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a modified formof decorative enclosing medium.

Fig. 10 is a broken side elevational view of a lamp on a reduced scale and disclosing one form of decorative means in association with the structure of Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 are side elevational views of further modified forms of light diffusing members.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, P designates the upper end portion of a hollow cord carrying lamp pedestal to whose upper end is secured a switch enclosing lamp socket S and in which is supported a lamp bulb B.

The structure so far described is a usual form of lamp minus the shade. The lamp as in usual practice is pro vided with a switch operating pull-member O and the pedestal P may be of any desired length and provided with a suitable base, as is illustrated for example, in Fig. 10.

The improved attachment in accordance with the present invention is in eltect a substitute for the shade now generally in use with lamps.

The shades now in use assume various forms as well as various structures. Such shades are, however, not conducive to maximum lighting eiiiciency for the reason that they intercept and reflect the light rays rather than diifuse and transmit same direct from the light source in theabsence of undue *glare. Furthermore, the greater thediameter'o'fa shade, and hence the further the distance of the shade surface from the light source, the more light is cut out.

Reverting now to Figs. 1 to 3, the present invention comprises a circular base plate '10 having a central apertured hub 11 'for receiving the lamp pedestal P and to which the plate is secured by a screw 12.

The base plate 10 is preferably disposed below and adjacent the lamp socket S as is clearly indicated in Fig. '2.

The base plate 10 is provided with an upwardly directed preferably outwardly flared fiange 11' which is provided with acircumferential series of apertures 12 for a purpose later to appear.

The base plate 'is preferably provided with a circumferential series of vent holes 13.

A light diffusing member 14 of translucent material in the form of a cylindrical tube has its lower end seated on the base plate 10 and the upper end of the tube is disposed substantially above the light bulb B.

A cross bar 15 is disposed above and diametrically of the light dilfusing member 14. The bar is preferably provided with a widened central portion 16 disposed within the tube and such portion is disposed slightly below the two radial arms 17 and is united therewith by'bends 18 thereby providing a depression 19 in the bar.

A disc plate 20 is disposed within the depression 19 and :same is provided with a central aperture 21 aligned with .a similar aperture 22 in the central 'b'ar portion 16 and a bolt 23 extends upwardly through the apertures 21 and '22 and whose threaded :end :is engaged by a hand manipulatable "nut 24 for firmly securing the plate '20 to the "bar :portion 16.

The disc plate 20 is adapted to prevent escape of light 'rays upwardly but same .is preferably provided with a circumferential series of vent holes 25.

A 'zbulb engageabl'e wire "clamp 26 is suitably secured to the bar portion '16.

While the clamp 26 has no supporting capacity when the light 'diffusingfrnemb'er 1 4 has its opposite ends engaged with the base plate 11) and crossbar 15 as in Figs. 1 to3, it :does in other forms later described.

An inner ring 27 is supported by the outer ends of arms :17 and .same .is provided with a circumferential series of apertures 28 for receiving a corresponding series of bolts 29 whose threaded :ends are extendable with aligned apertures .30 in an outer ring 31.

While the rings .27 and 31 .:are preferably flared outwardly as illustrated, the same may be vertical or horizontal. The purpose of the two rings is to receive the upper margin of decorative member 31a therebetween with the bolts 29 extending through apertures in the rings and the interposed portion of the decorative member 31a.

The lower portion of the decorative member 31a protrudes slightly below the lower edges of the concentric rings 27 and 31. If desired, the upper edge of the decorative member may project slightly above the upper edges of the rings.

In the construction above described, the light emanating from the bulb B is difiused through the tube 14 and accordingly is transmitted directly and is not indirect as by reflection from the walls of shades now in use.

While the translucent light difiusion tube 14 is shown in Fig. 2 as of solid material, foraminous tubes and enclosures or tubes of open work may be utilized with efiiciency.

Thus the tube may be of net form including horizontal 3 and vertical intersecting bars as illustrated at 14 in Fig. 4.

The light diffusing tube or enclosure may further comprise vertically spaced horizontal bars interconnected by a necessary number of vertical bars as illustrated at 14 in Fig. 5.

The tube or enclosure may further comprise vertical bars interconnected by opposite end horizontal bars as illustrated at 14 in Fig. 6.

All the above open work enclosures may be eovere with translucent material, if desired.

In the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 7 the lower end of the light diffusing tube or enclosure 14 does not engage the base plate but is vertically spaced above same.

With this construction the upper end of the tube or enclosure is suitably connected to a ring 32 which in .turn is connected to the bar 15 outwardly of the bends 18 therein.

A steadying yoke 33 is preferably used with this construction and comprises a horizontal base 34 engageable with the inner wall of base plate 10 and a pair of vertical arms 35. Base plate 10 may be omitted in this construction and yoke 33 secured by force-fit on the pedestal P.

The base 34 is provided with an aperture 36 for receiving the lamp pedestal P. The arms 35 are of a vertical length to extend upwardly within the lower end of the tube 14.

With this construction the tube 14' and bar 15 are supported from the bulb B by the yoke 26.

The yoke 33 may however be provided with arms 35 of a length to engage the ring 32 as is indicated by dotand-dash lines in Fig. 7. An open-work decorative member 31a is shown clamped between the rings 27 and 31.

As is indicated in Fig. 9 the bar 15 may be replaced by a member 37 from which project radially disposed arms 17 in 90 spaced relation. More than four arms 17 may be utilized within the scope of the invention.

In accordance with the structure of Fig. 10, the outer ring 31 is eliminated as are also the bolts 29 and the appearance of the lamp is enhanced by means of a cord 38 laced through the apertures 12 in the base plate 10 and the apertures 28 in the ring 27. Other decorative items may be similarly supported from the same apertures.

The light diffusing member 14 may be of various other forms than cylindrical as illustrated in Figs. 2, 4, S, 6, 7 and 10. For example, the member may be of frustoconical form with the smaller end upwardly as indicated at 14 in Fig. 11 or with the smaller end downwardly as indicated at 14 in Fig. 12.

The tube may be of still other forms within the scope of the invention.

While I have illustrated the decorative or ornamentation carrying unit or means as comprising a pair of concentric rings, it is to be understood that such unit or means may be of any suitable design or arrangement, and I do not wish to limit myself to the particular design shown herein.

While I have disclosed my invention in accordance with certain specific structural embodiments thereof, such are to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined in the sub-joined claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a lamp pedestal supporting a lamp socket in which is disposed a light bulb; a base plate supported on the pedestal beneath the socket, a cylindrical light bulb enclosing member disposed above the base plate in surrounding relation to the light bulb, a shade supporting unit detachably mounted on said bulb enclosing member, said unit comprising an ornamentation attaching ring surrounding and spaced from the light bulb enclosing member in concentric relation thereto, a plurality of arms extending radially of said light bulb enclosing member and said ring and having their outer ends connected to the latter, the inner ends of said arms being connected to a member disposed inwardly of the plane of said arms and seated within the upper end of said light bulb enclosing member, and a disk supported on said member and removably secured thereto.

2. The structure according to claim 1, together with a second ring concentric with and in radially outwardly spaced relation to said first ring, a decoration member having a marginal portion thereof disposed between said rings, and fastening elements extending through the rings and said marginal portion of the decorative member.

3. In combination with a lamp pedestal supporting a lamp socket in which is disposed at light bulb, a base plate supported on the pedestal beneath the socket, a

cylindrical light bulb enclosing member disposed above the base plate in surrounding relation to the light bulb, a ring of substantially greater diameter than said base plate and being supported above said light bulb in con- .centric spaced relation to the base plate, said base plate and said ring each being provided with a circumferential series of apertures, and a cord laced through said apertures and providing an ornamentation of inverted frustoconical form.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kimball' July 29, 1952 

